Same Sex Education

Rachel Kamiya
Mr. Salcido
English 11 Block 3
March 5, 2012
Same Sex Schooling School: A six-letter word that evokes many different emotions in teens. Some love it because it’s their social club, while others dread it because when there, they feel uncomfortable, get yelled at, and are requested to do seemingly ridiculous assignments without reason. School is a game, it’s a contest, it’s not real life, but there are two sets of rules by which to play. On the one hand, good grades are the prize, but on the other hand, social status is the true trophy. The battle line has been drawn. Even if there’s not much discussion about the line, everybody is aware of it. It’s always been there even if people pretend it’s not, it remains strong and well defined. Surprisingly the two groups are not defined by age. It’s not teachers against students. The groups are male and female, men and women, boys and girls. So why are they all together, and expected to learn the same way at the same time? The question of how to educate men and women together has had a long and rather turbulent history. It has been linked to questions of socialization of the students, equality between the sexes, and higher academic achievement for both boys and girls. While coeducation has grown in popularity in America and most parts of Europe, same-sex schooling continues to predominate in many other areas of the world. As a consequence, the question of gender and education continues to cause controversy. In this modern day in age, America has grown accustomed to having coeducational schools. However, the youth of this country would benefit greatly if schools systems separated the sexes and taught them differently according to their gender specific brain requirements for optimal learning, since male and female brain develop in different areas at different rates (Riordan, Early Implementation of Public Single-Sex Schools: Perceptions and Characteristics). In order to give students the best education, classrooms should be single sex. Teachers would be able to differentiate their lessons more effectively, allowing for faster and more in depth learning. Finally, being surrounded by the same sex would reduce anxiety and create a comfortable atmosphere in which the student can concentrate on learning without any distractions (Hughes, The Advantages of Single-Sex Education). Traditionally, separate education of boys and girls was the norm. This reflected the different roles of men and women in society. Men had to work for the family, and women’s primary focus was on more domestic duties (Riordan). Most single sex schools began to consider becoming coeducational in the 1960s. These developments were encouraged by the civil rights movement, which not only raised public awareness of racial bias in education, but also helped to foster feminism. Demands for gender equality in education put pressure on institutions to respond by converting to what is now known as coeducation (Tyack, Learning Together: A History of Coeducation in American Schools). Coeducation has been associated with the idea of equality between the sexes in education and greater opportunities for women. In spite of this, more recent studies in the 1990s are making school systems question whether coeducation is effective, and the old approach of same gender education is gaining momentum (Riordan). Males and females are different: a well-known fact, yet often not understood to the fullest degree. Besides the obvious physical differences, there are major differences internally with the majority of it in the brain. For years, people have been saying boys’ brains develop slower than girls’, when in reality, different parts of the brain develop at different rates according to gender. In boys, the regions called the sensorimotor and occipital cortex develop first and then the superior temporal and frontal cortex second. In girls, just the opposite occurs. The superior temporal and frontal cortex develop first, and then sensorimotor and occipital cortex develop second (Why Gender Matters 94). Since the superior temporal and frontal cortex controls language, memory, and logic, it would seem that girls are smarter than boys at a younger age. This reasoning can be used inside our education system by boys starting later in kindergarten. Pushing boys to start when the girls do has many disadvantages, which ultimately results in the all-famous “I hate school” attitude seen in most males. One of these disadvantages would be that boys feel like they are not smart enough, or not good enough for school. In most kindergartens, it is divided up into two sections: those who learn the alphabet and start making simple sentences, and the other being those who color or play with toys (Why Gender Matters 95). The majority of the first group is made up of girls, with the exception of a few boys, and the second group is consisted of mostly boys. Even at a young age, Sax says that boys “figure out that they’ve been put in the “dumb group” and they don’t like it” (Why Gender Matters 96). In later years, it is seen that this outlook on school that is evident through high school. If males perceive themselves to never be good enough, they will not be motivated to try hard. Consequently, negative school experiences can be avoided if parents start their children’s formal education when they are ready, and are capable of learning more. Parents feel they must keep up with the status quo and follow what is normal, when what they are following is what is normal for girls. Instead, they should tend to their children’s individual gender needs, both male and female. Besides different developmental speeds in the brain, there are other factors that affect male and female learning styles. One of these differences is the tolerance to loud noises. Male teachers, will teach a lesson with what seems like to them like an energetic voice, but to females however, it can be taken as though the teacher were yelling at them, while males cannot tell the difference (Why Gender Matters 87). Separating these genders in the classroom will allow both of them to listen to the teacher, without having to cringe from loud noise or straining to hear a whisper. Another difference is the student-teacher relationship. Girls are always classified as being sensitive, and they are rightfully so. When getting a bad grade on a test, the teacher should respond with positive encouragement, and help prepare them for the next one. For example a teacher could say, “I’ll help you study, you’ll do better next time.” Boys on the other hand, react better to negative criticism, which help them push themselves harder for the next test (Why Gender Matters 89). Without anger, a teacher could say, “I know you didn’t study, I expect a better grade next time.” The final difference between the sexes can be seen when students work together in groups. In most all male schools, group work is time constrained. This is due to the fact that boys work better under pressure, while girls become stressed (Marsh). Another reason why it would be better for girls and boys to be separated while working together would be that most females like control. While working on an assignment with mixed peers, the girls would get frustrated if a boy doesn’t do something in a certain way, which results in the girl taking over and doing it herself allowing the boy to slack off. Most males know this, and take advantage of it to get out of work. All of these problems can be avoided by simply separating the sexes. Scientifically, male and females brains are different in how information is perceived, and also how emotions are displayed having the genders be separated in schools is best because it provides the maximum comfort for the students to receive the best education they can. By schools not being coeducational, students would not be under pressure to live up the opposite sex’s expectations. Some examples include being a “bad boy,” or a “ditzy dumb blonde.” “Males are inclined to participate in theater arts and music when in a single-sex facility,” says Hughes, most likely due to the fact that females are not there to judge them (Hughes). In addition, the opposite gender is infamous for providing a distraction during school. Many boys and girls will not participate in class in fear of getting the wrong answer or saying something wrong in front of his or her person of interest. By keeping genders separate, students would feel more at ease, and distractions would decrease as participation in the classroom increases (Marsh). However, there are perceived social behavioral advantages to coeducation, like being able to work with the opposite sex better. Many argue that same sex schools do not provide the opportunity for the sufficient development of social skills between the sexes. These social skills include working well together in a professional environment, tolerating the opposite gender’s normal behavior, and courting (Marsh). In other words, students in coeducational schools are more likely to build better relationships with the opposite gender because of their opportunity to interact. However, according to Hughes in her article, The Advantages of Single-Sex Education, this is not the case. Hughes states, “researchers have compared high school students from coed schools and single-sex schools on social effectiveness, and came to the conclusion that the two did not differ overall” (Hughes). This implies that no matter if it is a same gender or mixed school, their social skills with the opposite sex are not impaired, and students have plenty of opportunities to socialize outside of school due to the fact that students spend more time outside of the classroom. Overall, the list of differences between males and females goes on, especially when it comes to how they learn. Boys develop different part of their brains first, can tolerate louder sounds, and work better from negative criticism and under pressure, while girls are the complete opposite. If classes were filled with the same type of learner, each student could receive the best education to enhance his/her abilities without distractions in a more comfortable environment than a coeducational school can provide. If the idea of single sex schooling catches on in more schools, the next generation of America could be better adjusted and better educated. They would be more productive members of society, which would be a great benefit to the country.

Work Cited
Hughes, Teresa A. "The Advantages Of Single-Sex Education." Online Submission (2006): ERIC. Web. 7 Mar. 2012.

Marsh, Herbert W. "Public, Catholic Single-Sex, And Catholic Coeducational High Schools: Their Effects On Achievement, Affect And Behaviors." (1990): ERIC. Web. 7 Mar. 2012.

Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Department of Education (ED), et al. "Early Implementation Of Public Single-Sex Schools: Perceptions And Characteristics." US Department Of Education (2008): ERIC. Web. 7 Mar. 2012.

Sax, Leonard. Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. New York: Doubleday, 2005. Print. Tyack, David, and Elisabeth Hansot. 1990. Learning Together: A History of Coeducation in American Schools. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Cited: Hughes, Teresa A. "The Advantages Of Single-Sex Education." Online Submission (2006): ERIC. Web. 7 Mar. 2012. Marsh, Herbert W. "Public, Catholic Single-Sex, And Catholic Coeducational High Schools: Their Effects On Achievement, Affect And Behaviors." (1990): ERIC. Web. 7 Mar. 2012. Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Department of Education (ED), et al. "Early Implementation Of Public Single-Sex Schools: Perceptions And Characteristics." US Department Of Education (2008): ERIC. Web. 7 Mar. 2012. Sax, Leonard. Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. New York: Doubleday, 2005. Print. Tyack, David, and Elisabeth Hansot. 1990. Learning Together: A History of Coeducation in American Schools. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.